Author's note: Thank you guys so much for the favs, follows, and reviews. Oh my gosh, your reviews had really brightened my day. I did a happy dance. What you guys said made me so happy. Anyways, enjoy, and comments are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug. If I did, well, Adrien and Marinette would know their identities a long time ago.

Chapter 3:

Darkness.

It comforted me like when you hug a teddy bear.

It wrapped me up like icing on a whole cake.

It kept me warm like a oven.

It gave me a tease of a taste, to only have happy thoughts.

It was pure bliss.

"Marinette…"

I heard a oh so familiar, gentle voice caressing my name.

Who's calling out my name?

"Beware of Chat Noir… Don't let him manipulate your heart… Choose good over evil because you are Ladybug…"

The same voice began to echo in the darkness like muffled whispers

I covered my ears in distraught; preventing myself from being entranced through her warnings.

"Time to go, Marinette…"

A white-hot light clouded my vision and I found myself being tugged towards it like a lost ship that finally found its lighthouse.

XOX

Where am I?

I opened my eyes to slits and saw blurry figures that were chattering away animatedly. I couldn't move. My mind was heightened and alert, but my body wasn't even close to it. I felt numb like those mannequins that I would see through those shop windows. I began to panic. I experienced a bad anxiety when my body felt like it was on autopilot.

"Are you sure she isn't dead?" I heard a voice that really sounded like one of my not so favourite classmate's named Nino.

Dead.

Oh God. Am I really dead?! Am I in the In-Between? Was Ladybug like the Grim Reaper that dragged me into the mirror to take my soul?

"No, stupid. If the girl was dead, dead, she would be pale as snow," A feminine voice replied to him in annoyance.

Wait a minute. I know that voice anywhere. It's Alya. Alya's here!

I must not be dead.

I gasped out loud like I was being pulled out of water while greedily trying to inhale a vast amount of air.

"Yikes, she's a rising corpse!" I heard Nino yelped like a cat being pulled by its tail.

I jolted up so fast, feeling my head spinning like a lazy carousel. Someone was straightening me up and my hazy eyes finally took in a familiar face.

"Alya!" I yelled out in relief.

I hugged her tightly. I took in her familiarity with a sense of comfort. However, she didn't hug me back and she had a frown on her face when I embraced her.

"Alya..?" I stared at her perplexed

"I'm sorry, have we met before or something? I don't recall ever seeing you and I usually never forget a face here in Paris." I have never heard her direct a untrustworthy tone with me before.

Oh God. Is Alya on drugs?

"Alya! It's me, Marinette, you're best friend in the whole wide world. We go to school together, we do dumb things and laugh about it later, and we both hate Chloe Bourgeois with a burning passion." I even hate her more than you do now because she practically humiliated me in front of Adrien, but I kept that comment to myself.

"Listen, I'm not sure if you're high on poppies or your some eccentric girl from the Capital. It's dangerous for you to be out here at night. Do you mind coming to back to our place? I would hate to post about your death on the morning paper, if you have a chance to live." She said to me morbidly.

I could only nod my head hesitantly for my response.

I finally realized I wasn't in the girl's bathroom anymore when Alya pointed out the obvious. My body finally reacted to the nippiness of the cold. I shivered in confusion. It was frigid like winter, instead of the spring weather that was supposed to be the current season right now.

I strolled behind Alya and a very angry Nino who was yapping away like a tiny dog. Alya didn't pay attention to his thoughts of this whole matter. It made me feel relieved that I saw her usual stubbornness blooming out.

I wasn't sure how to wrap my head around this. I decided it was just a silly dream and all of this could be over with if I just go with the flow. I nodded my head in determination. Yes, this was all a dream.

I stared at them again and I froze in place. Wait a minute. Why were they holding hands? Why were they giving each other those dazed looks that I sometimes gave to Adrien? And why the hell is Alya wearing a pretty diamond ring?

Oh no…

"Are you guys married?!" I asked them with a high squeak like a mouse.

They glanced back at me before Nino gave a lovey-dovey smooch on Alya's mouth.

He smirked at me with a hint of twinkle in his eyes. "You better believe it, toots," He said huskily.

This is not a dream. No. This was a bloody nightmare. My dream-image of Ayla was married to the guy who put gum on my chair.

What is my mind playing at?

XOX

In the heart of Paris, the beautiful Palace of Versailles stood under the twinkling stars of the night. Inside the luxurious ballroom, a young king sat on his throne and his body glittered with jewels just like his palace.

A tiny, gaunt figure of a man emerged inside the ballroom, wearing a black coat to conceal his cat ears and his dark soul. The tiny man bowed in front of the king before he looked him directly in the eye.

"My lord, it is now the haunting hour of midnight. Shall I release the Akumas? Or do you want to come out and play?" There was a sinister excitement through his voice when he said 'play'.

The king rises from his chair and smirked deviously at his Kwami.

"Plagg, transform me!"

XOX

Questions you guys might have, so please read: Instead of Adrien being blamed with the gum incident on the show, I decided to put Nino instead. It made it more flexible for me in this story. Don't worry, our favourite love-birds had a moment in the rain, but I changed on what made Marinette realize he wasn't like Chloe. Also it will keep you guys on your toes and you can have the feels when you see umbrella scene with a different angle. Also, don't be shy, I would love to hear what you guys thought. Have a nice DAY!